I. Field
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for the deployment and recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles.
II. Background
Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are forms of robots that travel underwater. Generally, UUVs include autonomous underwater vehicle (AUVs), which are devices that require no human control, and non-autonomous Remotely Operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), which are undersea vehicles that are controlled and powered from a remote location by an operator/pilot via an umbilical communications connection.
When UUVs are deployed, it becomes generally necessary to recover such devices. However, such recovery procedures can be extremely difficult, especially when the UUVs are autonomous devices having limited power or other resources (e.g., long-range underwater gliders), and no ready means to communicate with the outside world. Currently, launch and recovery operations of these assets are conducted with high risk to small boats, swimmer personnel and high-value equipment. Generally, a small boat or swimmer, in variable ocean conditions, must physically move to a UUV to attach a tow or lift line, or retrieve the vehicle by hand. This is extremely dangerous in high sea states.
With increasingly demanding requirements, the necessity to operate in higher sea states and from ships with differing freeboards, new recovery methods and devices for UUVs are desirable.